things aren't always what they seem
by McMuffin
Summary: Addison follows Kevin when she is suspicious of his infidelity and discovers something shocking. But remember, things aren't always what they seem. Addison/Kevin. K for language.
1. prologue

Hi there HotCop shippers, look what I've got for you-- ANOTHER multi chaptered HotCop fic. And lucky for you I've already written a few chapters (just need to type them up when I get time, haha) so hopefully I can update faster than I update One Way Or Another (which is sadly coming to an end... but not just yet!)  
Now don't freak out and kill me after reading this prologue, remember... things aren't always what they seem.

&&&&

**Things Aren't Always What They Seem**

_Leslie. Five missed calls from Leslie, and lying that is was a work thing… _

_I have a reason to be suspicious, right? It isn't just my overreaction to the fact that he had told me, the girl with the hurt and untrusting heart, that he loved me. Right?_

_I have to have, there has to be, a legitimate reason behind all of this so that my paranoia is not the reason for following him past the precinct. Right?_

"I think I may have just gone too far." she says, not waiting long to hear Naomi reply.

"With what?"

"I followed Kevin." she sounds remarkably calm for all the hysteria in her mind.

She explains to Naomi what she is doing and then is called a 'crazy woman' and 'not a cop'.

Crazy woman, maybe that's all she really is. A crazy woman with a heart too destroyed by previous lovers and a head too confused by infidelity. One thing that she knows for sure is that she is not a cop- but that thought only occurs to her when Naomi says, "has it ever occurred to you that maybe he's working?" _Shit. _What if she ends up involved in a murder case? _Shit. Stupid__,__ irrational__,__ Addison._

"Only maybe he's not working. People lie, Nae, they lie and they cheat and they ruin people's lives, and I am not going to be one of those women who gets duped…"

She trails off when Kevin's SUV stops outside of a house. She's still confused as to why he changed from his Ford car to a Toyota SUV at the precinct. She glances around her surroundings as she hadn't paid any attention to her directions when following him. They were well out of Santa Monica and into downtown LA.

"Addison!" Naomi exclaims, obviously thinking her friend is nuts.

"Addison, you need to be careful."

Addison is ignoring her as she is all too busy staring at the scene before her. Kevin is on the porch, kissing a woman on the cheek, hugging her, and grinning as a little boy who looks about five or six tackles his legs.

"Addison?"

Naomi only receives silence. And then, a dial tone.

&&&&

So, thoughts? Oh and did anyone notice that this goes off canon in episode 2x06? The same episode in which my other fic goes off canon? Clearly I like this episode.


	2. one

_I hope you guys don't end up hating Kevin. That is not my intention here at all. And this will not be another Noah storyline. Just roll with it a few more chapters, please. (:_

&&&&

Addison turns up on the doorstep in tears, well tears is an understatement. In waterfalls of salty liquid and running mascara would be a better description.

"What happened, honey?" Naomi asks after letting Addison cry in her arms for a few minutes.

"Woman…" she mumbles through sniffles. "A little boy…"

"Oh. honey." Naomi hugs Addison closer on the couch. "Kevin is a… a fucking prick!"

Addison wails. "Who I'm falling for."

Naomi blinks, having not heard anything about Addison's feelings as of now. She opens her mouth to say something, when Addison's sobs grow weak- and then disappear. Naomi gently pushes her best friend away from her to find her out cold. She's glad that Addison is so light, and that they are on the couch as she slowly manoeuvres Addison to be reclining on the couch. She lays a blanket over the sleeping redhead and runs a hand through her friend's hair with a sigh.

_Why do the men in her life seem hell bent on destroying her?_

&&&&

In the morning, Addison wakes to find her dress creased, her hair a tangled mess, her back aching and- when she finds a mirror- mascara staining her cheeks. She cleans herself up and stumbled into the kitchen where Naomi and Maya are eating breakfast.

"Oh hey, Aunt Addison! When did you get here?" Maya asks as she leaps out of her chair to hug her

"Um, last night." Addison mumbles.

"Oh, cool!"

Naomi smiles at Addison. "OJ?" She hands a glass to Addison.

"Thanks." Addison takes it as her phone buzzes on the bench where she left it last night. She glances at the caller ID and ignores it.

Naomi picks up the phone after it stops ringing. "You have three texts from last night and two missed calls."

Addison sighs and leans against the counter. "What do they say?"

"Um, just, where did you go? Are you okay? Those sort of things." Naomi doesn't miss the death grip that Addison has on the glass.

"What? What are you guys talking about?" Maya frowns.

"Man drama, honey, why don't you go upstairs and pack your bag for school?" Naomi suggests.

Maya rolls her eyes. "Mom, I'm not eight. Addison- all I can say if that guys don't like cryptic messages. Be direct, talk to whoever it is about what the problem is."

"Thanks." Addison says to her as Maya stacks her plate in the dishwasher. If Addison was in a better mood she'd laugh about taking advice from a teenager.

"How do you know that guys like being direct?" Naomi asks suspiciously.

"I don't. I've heard on TV." Maya backs out of the room very quickly.

"Don't think this is the end of that, missy!" Naomi calls after Maya's retreating figure.

Addison sighs. "Should I be direct?"

"Not until you know what you want to do."

"I will not be _that _woman- the one who breaks up a family… I can't be. I won't."

"So…" Naomi waits for a decision.

"So…" Addison stands up. "I'll see you at work."

&&&&

She makes it through the whole day- managing to ignore eight text messages and six phone calls from Kevin. Reading his last message, _'please call me, Ad, I'm worried. Xx'_ and with a glass of red wine in hand she is ready to curl into a ball and curse the gods that have dealt her this hand when a soft knock is heard at the door.

She gulps- not able to fake not being home because the lights are on and her car is in the driveway. Reluctantly walking towards her front door she forms her new plan to be cold towards him and to act tired. She opens her wood and glass front door to find Kevin there, frown lines adorning his face.

"Addison," he sighs. "Are you okay?"

She nods numbly, her stupid heart thumping faster at his concern.

"You didn't call or-"

"Long day…" She lies, biting her lip.

He frowns when he sees her biting her lip. "Oh."

Suddenly a wave of guilt washes over her. She's feeling things for him that she should not feel for a man who has a wife and child. She bursts into tears at the overflow of feeling and he is quick to embrace her. Addison forces herself to remain stiff in Kevin's arms, and he notices.

"Addie?" he asks tentatively.

She sighs. "Bad case… long day."

"Oh… okay." he says.

He holds her a few minutes. She feels disgust at herself the entire time.

"Do you… do you want me to stay?"

She shakes her head. "I just want to be alone." _Go home to your wife and child, _she feels like adding.

He leans in to kiss her softly before leaving. She watches him go and then dashes upstairs to vomit.

&&&&

They haven't gone a day in the past two months without even a text message from the other, but it seems like today they will. Kevin seems to sense that she needs her space, for which she is thankful. She needs time to adjust her priorities (spending every walking second with the man she is falling for is no longer one of those priorities) and decide how she will handle the conversation they need to have.

She's toying with a loose strand of red hair when the intercom buzzes, Dell telling her that Kevin is here. He does this now since Addison once squealed and broke a vase in her office when Kevin snuck in on her. As was becoming usual, Addison bursts into tears when she thinks of Kevin. She wipes hurriedly at her makeup while she tries to stop crying after a few seconds, but when she finds she is still crying and knows she'll burst into tears at the sight of him, she opts for another route- placing her head on the table and 'sleeping'.

"Addison?" Kevin asks softly as he enters the room.

She fakes sleep, holding herself rigid to stop any potential sobs.

"Ad?"

And he's walking towards her. And she holds her breath.

"Addison…"

He nudges her gently and she knows that he knows she's a light sleeper so she has to fake the waking up process- hoping that her eyes aren't red and that her makeup looks sleep-ruined as opposed to crying-ruined. No such luck.

"Addison. Did you- were you… crying?" he asks in concern.

"What?" she mumbles, feigning a sleepy confusion.

"You've been crying."

"Oh…" She nods. "Follow up with the patient from yesterday."

"Oh, I'm sorry." He kisses her on the forehead. "So I've got this DVD… it's some film called Waitress. Apparently it's funny, a chick flick- but, I'm willing to watch it for you. Are you free tonight?"

She gulps. Part of her screams _no! Stop making me the other woman! Dump him! _And the other part of her tells her that he's good for her, and must she have seen incorrectly. She compromises with her thoughts.

"Sure. Your place or mine?"

He frowns. "Yours? My place is a bombshell at the moment."

"Okay." She nods.

That's another thing. It's always, _always, _her house. Never his.

&&&&


	3. two

_KATE WALSH HAS TWITTER. (yes, I'm super excited- being the twitter addict that I am!!) Um, this chapter? Addison goes a liiittle crazy, and then a lot angry. Hee!  
Betsy: since you were anonymous I shall say it here. Think of the title, and chill out. I'm a crazy hotcop fan, I'm going to give them a happy ending somehow. Plus I also said it wouldn't be Noah 2.0 so... yeah. Now read this chapter! :D_

* * *

"_So now you're stalking him?"_ Naomi asks incredulously.

"Not stalking him, just…" She sighs, watching Kevin bend down to child-height to hug his son a good bye, the resemblance to his son is obvious this close to the pair.

"_I know."_ Naomi's voice is warm and comforting as Addison watches Kevin's son run off.

"Crap!" Addison exclaims.

"_What?"_

"Kevin! He's seen me!" She gulps as Kevin noticeably stands, sees her in her car a few metres away, and walks towards her with a frown.

"_Crap."_ Naomi repeats.

"Um, um… oh!" Addison looks away from Kevin, glad that she can seem oblivious to him underneath her shades. "The high school across the road… I think it's where Maya goes. I'm pretending like I dropped her off, okay?"

"_But-"_

"Go with it."

Kevin taps on the passenger side window, bewilderment clear on his face, just as Addison hits the red button on her phone.

"Hey! What are you doing here?" Addison asks, trying to remain calm, after rolling the window down- with the touch of a button of course.

"I could ask you the same thing." he says with a grin, almost forcefully, then opens the door to her car and sits down in the empty seat.

She lifts her sunglasses onto her forehead and reluctantly kisses him when he leans over.

"I had to drop Maya at school because Naomi's busy." she lies. When he fidgets a bit she asks. "Why are you here?"

"Buzzed on the radio about suspicious activity with some kids."

_Liar._ She nods numbly. "Well this is a weird meeting."

"Tell me about it. Hey, do you want to go get some coffee?"

She shakes her head. "Sorry, I've got a patient at nine."

"Oh." He nods.

"How about this afternoon, I'm off at three…" She knows he has a shift, but she doesn't want him to be suspicious. When she tells him she knows that he's married, she wants him to be in the most awkward position ever.

"Sorry, baby, I'm working then."

"Okay… well I'll see you tomorrow night then?"

He nods, seeming relieved that she's not at all suspicious. "Definitely."

Kevin leans over and kisses her. It's not long before they're making out, and despite the guilt she feels, the feel of the kiss outweighs the sin. He pulls back and grins at her.

"See you, babe."

"Bye." Her voice is breathy and she curses herself for it.

She touches her swollen lips as he leaves, and hates that she is still so infatuated with him.

&&&&

"Hello?" Addison answers the ringing blackberry.

"_Um, hi, who is this?"_

"Addison." she says. "Montgomery."

"_Okay. Uh, is Kevin there?"_

"Yes he is. I'll get him for you…" She doesn't think the woman mentioned her name.

"_Leslie."_

_Shit._ Kevin's wife. Addison decides to act oblivious to Kevin. At least it's lunchtime which is not a super suspicious time to answer someone else's phone by accident- she hopes Leslie doesn't get suspicious, _she _wants to bring Kevin down to two-timing them.

"Kevin. It's… Leslie?" She acts confused as she hands him the phone.

"Oh." His face seems to contort for a moment. "Hello?"

He walks off into the other room- he obviously seems to think that Addison has no clue, and he is clearly lying and telling Leslie that Addison is a friend or colleague or something. At least, Addison thinks so.

"Hey Ad, I've got to run. Raincheck on this afternoon?" Kevin asks as he returns in less than a minute.

She nods. "Fine."

Addison pushes herself away from her kitchen bench as he cleans up and picks up his jacket and other things lying around.

"Who's Leslie?"

"A friend. Called to catch up since she's in town," he lies.

"Oh, okay."

He nods. "Sorry. I'll call. I promise I'll make it up to you."

He kisses her softly and leaves feeling bad. He hates hurting her. Especially since he knows he freaked her out declaring his love for her, but he has to leave- Leslie called about his son being sick, he has to go home.

Addison feels a mixture of emotions while watching him leave. Primarily guilt, then anger at him for lying, hurt, and even some desire- which she is curing herself for feeling.

&&&&

She hates being this woman. The one who breaks up a family, the one who steals the father away from the child, ruins the child's upbringing. She should know, it almost happened to her. _Almost- _her parents only ever separated and then got back together within a year. Still, she should know. She should know better than to continue this thing with the married man who _loves _her, who she is falling for.

She can't deny that she is falling for him, or that she becomes giddy when she thinks about him loving her. Unfortunately, she most definitely can't deny his wife and child. She will tell him she knows. She will demand the truth.

She will.

Soon.

Tonight.

&&&&

She wakes up to find kisses being trailed over her neck.

"Morning." he mumbles to her with a smile.

"Wh-ahh… how did you get in?"

"Well, with my cop-honed powers of deduction I remembered that you keep the spare key in the electrical fuse box." He leans in to kiss her again and she turns her head. She has not yet steeled herself for kissing him.

"What? Am I not allowed to kiss my girlfriend a good morning?"

She shakes her head and goes into her walk-in wardrobe to pull on more than the singlet and shorts she is wearing.

"So we need to talk?" _She must be shaken by this whole 'love' thing,_ he thinks.

"Where were you last night?" she asks- he hadn't been home the previous night for her to ambush him.

"Work, I told you."

She comes out in a dress and heels, and then makes her way out of the bedroom with him trailing her.

"You sure?"

"Ad… I'm sure. If this is because I love you-"

"It's not because of that." She throws him a glance as she reaches the kitchen and throws her blackberry and lip gloss in her handbag.

"Addison… what's it about then?" He steps closer to her and reaches out to touch her.

_Fuck it. To hell with the plan!_

"It's about you having a wife and son!" She shrieks and shoves his hand away, tears in her eyes.

"Ad-" He goes to touch her again.

"Don't touch me!" She shouts and snatches her car keys from the bench as she storms out, leaving a shocked Kevin behind.

&&&&

_OH CLIFFHANGER. What will Kevin do now? Will Addison listen to him? Is this all a dream? Review and I'll update faster :P_


	4. three

_The moment of truth... ;)_

* * *

Addison ignores her ringing blackberry for the millionth time that morning. After letting it go to voicemail she receives another text message. He wants to talk. She doesn't.

Since she yelled at him and all she got back in return was a stunned look, not even a hint or remorse, or maybe even guilt to show he at least felt something for what he'd done, she wants nothing more than to be done with him. She wants to move beyond this seemingly adulterous period of her life as soon as possible.

It's three pm and she's considering asking Naomi to let her crash at her place because undoubtedly Kevin will show up at her home wanting to talk. Even if he says he will leave his wife, Leslie, she won't care. She isn't going to be that woman. She chews on her pen lid like a lion chewing meat as her phone flashes with a message yet again.

"You know you shouldn't chew on lids like that. It'll damage your teeth."

Kevin hasn't even waited until this evening to talk. He's come now. She stands, preparing to brush past him, but he blocks the doorway knowing her plan all too well. She glares at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk."

"I do not want to talk to you, you adulterous, lying bastard!" She exclaims, once again becoming teary as she yells.

"I'm not married." he says calmly.

"What? How can you not be married? I saw you with her, with your son!"

"When?" He asks, trying to remain calm.

"Tuesday."

"So by _her _I presume you mean Leslie, who, by the way, is my cousin."

She seems shell-shocked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"What? That I have a son?"

"Yes! Yes goddamn it! We've been together for more than two months now and you've failed to mention him!" She shouts.

"Sit." He motions to her couch. "Sit." he repeats more emphatically.

"I didn't tell you because Parker's mom ran out on us two years ago and it took me a year to get over her and divorce her… and Parker, my son, doesn't trust people very easily. It's taken him forever to trust Leslie and I don't want to hurt him. And I _never _meant to hurt you."

"Oh." Addison is silenced.

"Is that enough of an explanation?"

"For now…" Curiosity always did get the better of her.

"Now I have an explanation I want from you. Addison… How did you find out? You said Tuesday. Did you-"

"Yes! I followed you okay?"

He frowns in annoyance and confusion. "Why?"

"Because!" She exclaims. All hints of calmness between the two are gone.

"Because?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Because you said you loved me and then said that you covered for cheating guys, and then left for a 'work thing' after Leslie called you five times!"

"You checked my blackberry?" Kevin's angry now.

She slumps down in her couch. "I guess I have trust issues like Parker."

"Care to elaborate?" He wants a full explanation.

She sucks in a deep breath as he sits down next to her, but not too close.

"It started with my childhood, my family, but not really." She gulped. "I cheated on my husband with his best friend… and after that, my ex-husband cheated on me too."

His expression is blank.

"So when you said 'I love you', it took everything to this whole other place, this dark place, where the stakes were high."

He's staring straight at her, and she still can't read his expression.

"Couldn't trust you. Not because of you- because of me. And I think I was scared, because, because I'm falling for you." She pauses. "I am not in a place where I can say what you said, but, I think if you were to stick around, with the crazy, a little while longer… I'll get there."

He smiles at her and takes her hands in his.

"Because you are honest, and loyal, and worthy of trust."

Her voice is shaking as she finishes and he leans his forehead against hers, still smiling comfortingly while his other hand rubs her back.

"I messed up." she mumbles, her voice laced with tears.

"So did I." he murmurs, tilting her chin up to kiss her softly. "I'm sorry I hurt you- made you think…"

She shakes her head. "I'm sorry that I went and assumed."

He kisses her again softly, comfortingly, reassuringly, until he is sure that they are okay.

&&&&

She's lying in his arms, spaghetti strapped tank top and bike-short panties are the only things she is wearing. She doesn't need anything else for warmth when she's got Kevin holding onto her so comfortingly.

Neither of them felt like having sex that night, but mutually agreed on him staying the night. She exhales yet another deep breath in an attempt to calm herself back to sleep after unfortunately awakening ten minutes ago from her Blackberry beeping to signify low-battery shut down. She feels Kevin's hand run across her shoulder gently before she feels his lips kiss where his hands had just touched.

"Can't sleep either?" Kevin asks.

She shakes her head and turns in the semi-darkness to press her forehead against his. "Tell me about Parker."

Kevin's grin is just visible through the soft way-too-early morning light. "Well… like what?"

She drapes an arm over his back. "Anything! Birthday, favourite food, middle name- and please tell me it's better than your middle name." She giggles softly.

"Winston is not bad."

She raises a sleepy eyebrow at him.

"Okay so it is bad. Parker's middle name is James… after…" He pauses to wince. "After my best friend, who's also Julia's brother and Parker's godfather…"

She reaches for his hand and squeezes it softly before prompting him. "Birthday?"

"Just turned six in January. The twenty-first." He's less distracted from thoughts of his ex now. "Parker's got an obsession with fire trucks- something I need to change." He laughs and she smiles. "He's smart. He can read like magic- I forget that sometimes, I shouldn't leave crime files lying around. Uh, he only eats his vegetables if they're placed in rainbow order on his plate. He used to eat the dog's dry food when he was little, so if you ever see him near dog food… be suspicious."

"He sounds adorable, Kev."

He smirks. "I wouldn't agree with that all the time. Not when he plastered toilet paper to my face the other day while I was asleep."

Addison giggles. "How kind of him."

"Mmm… and then Leslie came over and snapped a picture."

"Ooh, this I have to see." She sounds very excited.

"Oh yeah, I'll ask her the second you two meet," he mumbles sarcastically, fingering the strap of her top.

"And will I be meeting Leslie and Parker soon? Because, you know, Parker looked so cute when I… saw him."

He smirks a little. "Addison, I forgive you for stalking me."

"I'm actually a little glad that I did stalk you…" She pauses. "Out of curiosity, when were you planing on telling me about Parker?"

He shrugs.

"Never?" Her voice is laced with annoyance and a hint of anger.

"Just… when I knew I could trust you completely." He smiles. "Which I do now, despite your stalker tendencies."

"Well, you have trust issues, I have trust issues, Parker has trust issues… what a great bunch we'll make." Addison jokes.

He grins and runs a hand down her arm as she stifles a yawn.

"Sleep?" He says softly.

"I've been trying the past hour. Can't." she mumbles.

"Well… I know how I can tire you out and help you go back to sleep."

He grins at her and pushes himself on top of her, grinning madly.

"Sex."

She giggles and pulls him down to her.

* * *

_Did you see that coming? :P I told ya it wouldn't be Noah 2.0 haha_


	5. four

_And now, we meet Parker... and Leslie too :)_

* * *

"Dad!" Parker shouts, running across the pavement when he sees his father. Parker hadn't seen Kevin for two days, since Kevin had gone out to work early yesterday and Parker had stayed with Leslie, then again with Leslie the last night when Kevin stayed at Addison's.

"Hey buddy!"

Kevin shoots an apologetic look at the teacher currently on duty when his son runs out of the grade one area without Kevin having signed him out. He scoops Parker into his arms, placing a kiss atop his head, then walks back to the teacher to sign Parker out.

"Dad! We had the coolest day today! We had to write out the names of monster trucks and in free time we got to play monster trucks, and- smash! Neeeeowww! Boom! I crushed Darcy's truck!"

"Wow, sounds like fun." Kevin grins, setting Parker down on the pavement and slings Parker's backpack across his shoulder. He waves at another parent, one of his friends, and takes Parker's hand.

"Hey, why is it called free time if techernicerly-"

"You mean technically," Kevin corrects.

"Tech... techernicherly it's not free because you pay for school?"

Parker attends a private school, the same one as Kevin attended as a child.

Kevin grins. "Just an expression. Now, Parker, another expression... you're heard of the word 'girlfriend' right?"

Parker scrunches up his nose. "Yah-uh. It's when a girl will... kiss you!" He exclaims. "Which is gro-oss!"

Kevin chuckles. "Well what do you think of meeting my girlfriend Addison?" He asks as they reach his car, Addison leaning against it silently. Kevin told her not to speak until Parker makes eye contact with her.

"She's not going to leave like Sindi did, is she?" Parker asks quietly, glancing at Addison for a moment before hurriedly staring at the ground.

Kevin locks gazes with Addison who shakes her head.

"Definitely not," she says with a smile.

Kevin pulls Parker up onto his hip. "Parker, this is Addison."

"Hi," he mumbles nervously.

"Hi, Parker," Addison says, also nervous.

Parker takes in her appearance properly and his eyes light up when he sees her hair. "Dad! Dad! She's got red hair!"

"Yup. Like a fire truck." Addison smiles at the boy.

Parker is impressed, and on the ride home in the SUV, he talks mostly to Kevin, but acknowledges Addison once or twice, which is apparently more than he ever acknowledges anyone that he just met.

&&&&

"It took Parker for-_ever_ to make friends at school... it's just so... hard for him to bond with anyone ever since Julia walked out. He just can't bond, you know?" Leslie says.

Addison nods, taking a bite of the apple she had just plucked from Kevin's fruit bowl as she and Leslie sit on stools at the island in Kevin's kitchen.

"He likes you, you know? It may not seem like it, but he does- And the hair thing helps. He keeps telling me to dye my hair red now that he's seen it in existence."

Addison laughs, tucking a strand of that red hair behind her ear. "So you see a lot of Parker?"

Leslie nods. "Kevin's like my brother...when my parents died, my mom's sister, Jane, she's Kevin's mom, she took me in... this was when I was eleven. Kevin and I have basically been brother and sister since then. Or course technically we're only cousins..."

Addison opens her mouth to speak when Kevin jogs into the room. "Ahh, bonding I see." He kisses Addison softly and goes to the fridge as Parker runs in with a baseball bat swinging in his hands.

"Have fun with baseball?" Addison asks.

Parker nods and briefly makes eye contact with her while still swinging the baseball bat.

"What do you want to drink, there's- whoa!" Kevin turns to Parker. "Oh, no, no, no, kiddo I told you to keep the bat outside." He prises the bat from his son's hands.

"Cheeky monkey." Leslie chuckles as she hoists Parker up into her lap.

Addison holds her apple in her hand as she watches a sly grin creep over the child's face.

"Did you beat your daddy at baseball?" Leslie asks.

Kevin scoffs and goes to stand next to Addison, hand on her shoulder, other hand holding a glass of orange juice. "Hell no."

"Dad! _Hell_ is a bad word! Ms... Ms... Ms Marsden said so!"

"Oops, sorry, Parker."

"Hey, Leslie..." Parker turns in Leslie's lap. "Why won't you dye your hair red? It's such a cooler colour!"

"Well it's Addison's individual thing, I don't want to copy her."

"Individual?" Parker asks.

"It means unique..." Kevin only receives a blank face in response.

"One of a kind." Parker still seems a little confused.

"It means only one person has it," Addison says.

"Oh!" Parker nods emphatically, understanding.

&&&&

Addison rings Kevin's doorbell and waits for him to open the door. He invited her over to spend the night for the third time that week. Since finding out about Parker four weeks ago, their relationship had been jolted to a whole other level, but a good level. Every day Addison grows more and more attached, further believes that this could be it, and falls just a little harder.

She hears the sound of someone running down the hallway fast before the front door opens and she sees Parker through the fly screen.

"Hi, Addison," he says softly, opening the screen door.

"Hey, Parker." She smiles widely as he never speaks first.

"Would you like to come in?"

"Yes please."

He bounces aside so that she can walk in.

"My, your daddy's been teaching you good manners."

He shakes his head. "Nope. Leslie does. Daddy just does things that Leslie says are bad. Like dad says the word… _butt!"_ He shrieks loudly after whispering the word, almost as if he has gotten away with murder and is celebrating.

"Yes, butt is a very bad word." She nods.

"Hey, Ad." Kevin smiles as he walks down the hallway and kisses her softly.

"Eeewww." Parker grimaces and runs back to where he had been playing in his bedroom.

"Hey." she mumbles when they pull apart. "Parker's very talkative today… I think that's the most he's ever spoken to me." She rests her head on his chest.

"Oh, he's been at a friend's party today and seems to be a little hyped up on Coke. I don't let him drink it too often so it makes him go crazy."

"Aw, and here I was thinking he likes me." She chuckles.

He kisses the top of her head. "He does… shall we go into the living room?"

She nods and pulls out of their embrace, automatically taking his hand as they head for the couch. She's glad Parker seems to be busy in his bedroom, it will give them time to relax. Over the last month she and Kevin have adapted to daytime dating. If they go out or spend the night at one of their places, Parker's either at home, or Leslie has to be called to look after him, and Kevin doesn't like having to call on her all the time.

"Hey, Parker, are you done watching Cars?" Kevin shouts down the hall.

"Yes!" comes the response from down the hall.

Addison drops her handbag on the armchair and sits down on the couch next to Kevin. He pulls her into him so they are lying on the couch together. Her legs clad in footless tights intertwine with his legs clad in sweats.

"How was your day, babe?" He asks, clasping her hands in his.

"Hmm… not too bad. How was yours?"

"Pretty boring. We didn't get called out for anything so I did paperwork."

"Oh, fun." she jokes.

Her hair is in his face and he can smell pineapple.

"Mm, did you change your shampoo?"

"My conditioner. How did you know?"

"Well your hair smells of pineapple, usually it smells of raspberries."

"Okay that's a little creepy, hun."

"What? Me smelling your hair and thinking it's nice is creepy?"

She giggles. "Mm… and remembering the scent."

Kevin ducks his head to sniff her neck. "Well you are very memorable. Mmm, _you_ smell good."

She laughs as he sucks over the soft skin on her neck. "Kev, later… Parker's still up."

"He won't be for long… he crashes and burns when he has a sugar high. One of the reasons I hate coke… although tonight it's a good thing."

She laughs softly. "That's good to know."

* * *

_Hehe, so... thoughts? Do you like Parker & Leslie? Oh and yes, if anyone is wondering- I've had a few people point this out- I did kind of steal the name Parker from Bones. It was going to be Wyatt like the kid in Charmed, but that would cause all kinds of confusion with the Wyatt character on Private Practice... *mutters under breath about Addison being stupid for kissing Wyatt* hehe._


	6. five

_Exams suck. You want to know what sucks even more? Writer's block. And I am experiencing that on this fic and OWOA and it is so frustrating! So I hope you guys can forgive me and that this isn't as bad as some of my other attempts were! :)_

_

* * *

_

"Dad where are we going?" Parker asks from the backseat.

"We are going to visit Addison." Kevin explains. "I told you yesterday."

"Oh yeah! Does Addison have any fire trucks?"

"No… but I brought one of yours just in case."

"Oh." Parker nods. "Does Addison have a pool? 'Cause you got my board shorts."

Kevin shakes his head with a grin. "Better. Addison has the beach."

"Whoa! The beach? Dad, drive faster!"

They reach Addison's house around 2pm and Parker practically runs up the driveway.

"Hey, Parker." Addison grins as she lets them in.

"Hi! Dad says you have the beach!"

"I do."

"Cool!" Parker goes to run out the back door as he sees the beach through the glass.

"Whoa, wait, Parker!" Addison runs after him, glad to be barefooted and long legged as she stops him in the living room. "Parker, listen to me, see those fire truck and police stickers on the glass there?"

"Yup." He nods.

"If they are in front of you, don't keep walking, okay? It's a glass door, you have to slide it."

"Oh." Parker walks over and pushes the door to the side as Addison holds the handle. He sticks a hand out, testing to make sure that the glass is indeed gone, and then runs outside.

"Don't go in the water!"

"I won't!" Parker yells back. "Promise."

Addison is about to go after him when a hand grabs her arm. "Hey, Ad." Kevin smiles then he kisses her.

"Hey." She gestures outside and mumbles against his lips. "Um, Parker-"

"-is rolling around in the sand near the decking." Kevin then continues kissing her deeply and more passionately again.

"Dad- ew!" The couple pull apart quickly and Parker closes his eyes as he sees them kissing. "Can we go in the water now, please?" he asks through closed eyes.

"Sure thing. Got to get dressed though and shake the sand off." Kevin picks Parker up and carries him back outside, swinging him from side to side so that all the sand falls off of him.

&&&&

Addison is lounging on a deck chair in a blue string bikini when a shadow falls over her. She looks up to see Naomi standing above her.

"Nae! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I came to drop Maya at Sam's and decided to go for a walk…. You know that you three look like a family right?"

"What? No! Parker rarely speaks to me- he speaks to me only when Kevin's around… and he doesn't hug me or anything… I know he's been through a lot with his mom, but, I still feel like the intruder."

"Well, you look anything but it." Naomi smirks. "Actually, you look hot. I like the bikini."

"Aw thanks, Nae." Addison smiles

"Okay they're coming out of the water, I should go. I don't want to intrude."

"Oh, alright. See you tomorrow."

"See you, Ad."

"Who was that, dad?" Parker asks Kevin as they reach Addison.

"Addison's friend." Kevin explains. "Hey do you two want anything to drink? I'm going to grab one from inside."

"Water please." Addison says while Parker shakes his head.

Kevin returns five minutes later with a bottle of water for Addison in one hand and his Blackberry in the other.

"What's up?" Addison asks seeing his annoyed expression and his phone.

"Work." he mutters. "Do you mind watching Parker for a few hours?" he asks softly while glancing at Parker who is making a sandcastle that more resembles a hill a few metres away.

"Not at all." She smiles, pushing her sunglasses onto her head.

"Hey, Parker, I have to go to work… do you mind staying here for a few hours? Addie has cable."

Parker shrugs. "Bye, daddy."

&&&&

"What cartoon are you watching?" Addison asks Parker curiously.

"It's _Ben 10_… boring." he replies dejectedly, but at least knows to be polite and not ignore her.

"There's nothing else on?" Addison had flicked the 'parental control' button for the first time in her life, and had left Parker to watch any age-appropriate shows the TV allowed him to, while she made an attempt to organise some things for work the next day.

Parker shook his head while Addison's Blackberry began to ring with an unknown number. "Hello?" She answered it. "Dr. Montgomery speaking."

"_Addison Montgomery?__"_

"Yes?"

"_Um, I'm calling to inform you that your boyfriend has been shot…"_

"What?" She gasped and Parker looked up as she gasped.

"_He's in the ER at St. Ambrose."_

"Okay." She hangs up the phone and turns to a bewildered Parker, making a snap decision to bring him with her. "Hey, Parker, can you get your shoes on?"

He nods, looking at her and seeing her all flustered he knows better than to argue.

Hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, Addison is trying to get a hold of Leslie, to inform her if she doesn't already know, and to see if she can come help her with Parker as Addison is sure that Parker would prefer someone he loves in this crisis.

"Addison?" he calls out meekly whilst straining his head to look out the window, not having his booster seat in this car.

"Yeah, Parker?"

"Are you okay?"

She nods.

"Where are we going?"

Addison pulls the car into the hospital car park, and stops in an employee parking space out the front. Screw not working at the hospital, she's friends with Charlotte. She'll work it out later.

"The hospital."

"Wh-why?" A lump forms in Parker's throat.

She silently helps him out of her car and takes his hand. "Um… your dad… h-he got hurt at work."

He gulps. "Did he get shot?"

"Y-yeah." Her voice is cracking and he holds her hand tight. "He's going to be okay."

Outside the ER she bends down to his height. "Stay here, I'll only be a couple of minutes… can you go sit over there for me?"

He shakes his head.

"Parker."

"I want to see daddy!"

She sighs. "Promise you'll close your eyes and I'll take you in."

He nods and closes his eyes as she lifts him into her arms, carrying the shut-eyed child into the crazy ER. She spots _him_ immediately, he sees her too.

"Kevin!"

"Addison… I told them not to call you." he rasps.

"Dad?" Parker asks softly.

"Hey, Parker…" Kevin coughs. "I love you."

"I love you too." Parker whispers, eyes glued shot.

Addison is about to speak when another doctor tells her they need to get him to surgery, just as Kevin flat lines.

* * *

_Review, please, beg me not to kill him, because my seriously deluded, writer's block filled mind wants to. :O Yes I did just say that. I'm 50-50 here, people. To kill or not to kill?  
_


	7. six

_MERRY CHRISTMAS!! (or Merry Christmas Eve to some of you!) I hope you all have an amazing time. (:  
Also, see the "characters" section for Private Practice? Yeah, I got that put in, you can thank me with reviews. :p_

* * *

Addison flees the ER as quickly as possible in order to get in on the emergency surgery the doctors are rushing Kevin towards. They're doing compressions on his heart and she has a feeling they'll put him on bypass in the surgery.

"Why are we leaving dad?" Parker whispers as Addison carries him out.

"He needs surgery."

"Is he okay?" His lip is trembling and his eyes are still closed.

"I'm going to find out. You can open your eyes now."

Parker's eyes open and are painted with tears. His fingers scrunch up into the soft cotton of his dad's hoodie, which Addison is wearing, clinging onto any connection to his father. They are near the OR when Naomi sees them from down the hall.

"Addison?" She's surprised. "You okay?"

"K-Kevin's been shot." Addison mumbles.

"Oh no… is he okay?"

Addison glances at Parker before replying. "I'm going to find out." She puts Parker down reluctantly. "Parker, you saw my friend Naomi on the beach today? Can you stay here with her for a few minutes?" She barely waits for his shy nod before dashing towards the OR. Her trembling hands can barely tie a scrub cap around her hair, and she gives up on tying on a mask, instead just holds it in front of her mouth as she enters the surgery.

"Well try harder, damnit!" She exclaims later on as the surgeons have stabilised his heart and are searching for the cause of his bleed.

"I am, Dr. Montgomery."

Addison sees the cause before the other doctor. "There, upper right perihepatic hematoma."

"I see it, Dr. Montgomery."

"If you just -"

"- I see it."

Naomi enters, looking flushed. "Addie? Parker needs you."

Addison bounces from foot to foot, needing to see that Kevin is alright and the bullet is out, but also needing to be there for Parker.

"I've got the bullet!" the other surgeon says.

Addison turns to leave the OR with one last glance at Kevin- a glance she shouldn't have made because she then has to bend over the hazardous waste bin and throw up. She splashes water on her face in the scrub room and wipes her mouth with a paper towel before making her way out to the corridor where Parker is visibly trembling. She bends down as he rushes into her arms, sobbing and holding on for dear life. She holds him to her chest, her sobs mixing with his, and Naomi gulps back the lump in her throat watching this scene unfold.

Like mother and son, Addison comforts Parker while his embrace comforts her. Like mother and son she whispers to him that they have the bullet out and his father will be okay. Like mother and son she carries him to Kevin's room.

_Like _mother and son.

&&&&

Kevin wakes to find Addison and Parker curled up on a gurney near the end of his bed. He smiles at the sight, but his chest hurts, and not just from the surgery. Hugging the boy to her chest, both with frowns in their sleep, Addison's makeup is staining her face in places it would normally not be, and there is a slight pinky-red smudge in the shape of lips on Parker's forehead.

"Parker," he croaks out. "Parker!"

Parker's eyes pop open and in a mad scramble he dashes to the bed. "_Dad!_"

"Hey, bud." He winces and hugs Parker who's careful not to put any weight on him.

"I love you, dad." Parker tells him, lower lip trembling.

"I love you so much, Parker, never forget." He's kissing the top of his son's head when Addison stirs.

"Kevin!" she exclaims breathlessly, and rushes over. She cups his face and kisses him like she'll never kiss him again. Parker doesn't even grimace.

"Addison," he says softly.

She smiles tearfully at him. "Thank god you're okay."

He simply nots and intertwines his fingers with hers.

"I love you." she tells him softly, leaning her head down to the crook of his neck, inhaling his (currently antiseptic tainted) smell.

"What?" he whispers, shock evident on his face as with her trust issues he didn't expect to hear that for at least another six months.

"She said she loves you!" Parker repeats with a grin.

"I love you too, Addie." He smiles widely and presses his soft lips to hers.

"Well if you don't look like the most adorable family." Leslie coos as she enters the room.

"Leslie." Kevin croaks out.

"Les!" Parker runs to hug her tight.

"Hey, Parker, hey, Addison." She hugs Parker and rubs Addison's shoulder before turning to Kevin. "You're an idiot!"

"Why?"

"You got shot! Duh!"

"Eh, don't remind me." he grunts, extending his arm slowly out towards the bedside table.

"Here, what do you want?" Addison asks softly.

"Water."

She reaches to pick up the cup and holds it to his lips while he takes a few mouthfuls, then the puts it down.

"Thanks," he says as he sees Parker stifling a yawn. "What time is it?"

"About… midnight."

"Whoa, Parker should be in bed." Leslie says. "I'll take him back to my place."

"Thanks," Kevin mutters. "Can you look after him for a few days, till I'm okay?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Kev. It'll be more like a few months till you're better." Addison says as Leslie takes Parker out of the room.

"What? I wasn't that badly shot."

"You didn't see the damage on the inside."

"Wh… you were in my surgery?"

Addison nods. "Fractured two ribs, pierced part of your liver… bed rest for at least eight weeks. Not to mention the strain on your heart!"

"Ugh, how will I look after Parker on bed rest?"

Addison smiles. "I'll help."

"You will?"

"I will." She clasps his hand in hers with a smile. "I'll look after you.

* * *

_I didn't kill him, must be all these candy canes and Christmas spirit ;)_


End file.
